(photo courtesy of morguefile.com)

Just 20 years ago buying organic food was not easy. Buying organic fare didn’t get far beyond purchasing from a specialty farmer, belonging to a community food coop, or being lucky enough to have a small, independent health food store nearby.

That’s all changed. Now the nation’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, sells organic food. For many years the sale of organic foods climbed at a rate of 20% per year. Three-fourths of the U.S. population now buys organic products, according to The Hartman Group’s research. In 2007, Americans will spend $2 billion to eat organic food.

Despite all the interest in organic food, sales of organic wine have never enjoyed the same success, but they are growing in popularity. They’re not always easy to find, but they are making their way onto store shelves and some are showing up on restaurant wine lists. The research firm Nielsen reports that sales of organic wines have grown 35% in the last 52 weeks.

One company venturing into the emerging market is The Three Thieves. They’ve introduced a new brand called True Earth, made from organically grown grapes. True Earth’s two organic wines, a red blend and a varietal Chardonnay, are made from California Certified Organic Farmers vineyards in northern California’s Mendocino County.

The wine is grown using no pesticides, herbicides, or conventional synthetic fertilizers. Minimal amounts of sulfites are used in the winemaking process to preserve freshness. The Thieves say they believe that healthy soils, plus healthy vines equal true, expressive wines with a sense of place.

“The True Earth wines are a natural extension from what we founded our company on — distinctive, value oriented wines in less traveled categories. The Organic food world is booming and I think that wine consumers have been underserved,” says The Three Thieves' Charles Bieler.

If you'd like to learn more about the organic winemaker's new brand go to: True Earth

To read an article in the New York Times on the growing interest in organic & sustainable wines go to: When the Wine Is Green